NTU's Cosmopolitan Quarter : ICLP’s 55th Anniversary Exhibition & Forum

This year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of the International Chinese Language Program (ICLP), and also marks 20 years since ICLP, then known as the Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies (IUP, or “The Stanford Center”), came under the administration of NTU. To celebrate this special year, ICLP and NTU Library jointly organized a conference titled "NTU's Cosmopolitan Quarter: Historical Exhibition & Forum of the 55th Anniversary of ICLP." Together, the forum and exhibition showcase the 55-year development and history of Chinese language pedagogy in Taiwan and at NTU.

The exhibition’s opening ceremony was held on October 27, 2017 in the NTU Library. We felt deeply privileged to welcome and host the program’s first director, Albert E. Dien, now 90 years old, who attended the opening ceremony and served as the ICLP’s representative in donating a variety of valuable archival materials to the NTU Library. ICLP alumni from around the world, delegates from various Taiwanese governmental offices, and Chinese-language program directors in Taiwan and abroad gathered to partake in this historical occasion and recognize ICLP’s lasting contributions to and key position in the field of Chinese language teaching.

Current ICLP Director, Prof. Chin-Jung Chiu (邱錦榮), emphasized in her opening remarks the very close relationship between the history of Chinese teaching in Taiwan and the history of Taiwan-US diplomatic relations. She expressed deep appreciation for all the program directors and teachers who, throughout IUP-ICLP’s history, have made significant contributions to Chinese teaching. Thanks to their efforts, NTU has set the standard for international Chinese teaching, and continues to strive to meet the demands of a changing world while preserving its tradition of excellence.

The forum featured four panel sessions on various topics. Former program directors opened the forum by taking the audience on a journey through the joys and challenges they faced during their time at IUP. On the second panel, the delegates from various Taiwanese government agencies discussed research funding, Chinese language education, and teaching resources in Taiwan. The third panel featured the directors and teachers of Chinese language departments in the US and Europe, who discussed the global trends in Mandarin acquisition. Finally, on the fourth panel, various ICLP/IUP distinguished alumni shared their personal experiences in learning Chinese. The rich exchanges and fruitful discussions at the forum will help enable Taiwan to continue to stand at the forefront of Chinese language education and to keep in step with global trends in language education.

The forum came to a fitting conclusion with a standing ovation for IUP/ICLP’s dedicated teachers, past and present, led by ICLP alumnus and alumni association chair Joseph R. Allen, Professor Emeritus of Asian Languages and Literatures at the University of Minnesota. The historical exhibition is on display on the 5th floor in NTU Library until December 29; all are welcome to visit the exhibit.

• Exhibition Information:
  NTU's Cosmopolitan Quarter :
  Historical Exhibition & Forum of the 55th Anniversary of ICLP
  ‧ When: 9 am–5 pm, Mon.–Fri., Oct. 27–Dec. 29, 2017
  ‧ Where: 5th floor, NTU Library
  (Entry is free. Personal ID for non-NTU visitors is required at the registration desk for access.)
• Online Historical Exhibition: http://history.iclp.ntu.edu.tw/
• ICLP Database: http://cdm.lib.ntu.edu.tw/cdm/landingpage/collection/ICLP

Source:
Original Chinese text by Yu-Rong Chen (陳玉蓉)
English translation by Chun-Ling Wang (王淳菱) and Ryan Matthew Hintzman (尹子然)